China makes rare admission of naval near-miss
AFP News – 20 hours ago
China has honoured a submarine captain for averting an underwater "emergency" after his crew reportedly saved the vessel from sinking into waters thousands of metres deep, in a rare disclosure of a near-disaster.
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Wang Hongli, commander of submarine 372, was praised by the Central Military Commission for "successfully dealing with a major sudden dangerous situation" during an underwater mission, the military's official People's Liberation Army Daily reported.
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In April the PLA Daily reported that the submarine had been hit by a sudden change in water density while patrolling in an area of the sea "thousands of metres deep".
Pipes in the main engine room were damaged by the increased water pressure and the vessel began sinking rapidly after losing power, it said.
Wang and his crew reacted quickly, according to the report, shutting down nearly 100 valves and switches and operating dozens of controls -- all within three minutes -- before steering the submarine out of danger.
The crew risked their lives to "prove their loyalty", Wu Shengli, commander of the PLA Navy, was quoted as saying.
